An Eternal New Moon
by Miroku120
Summary: Kagome is kidnapped by the serpent goddess, Mikahebi, for her ability to see shikon shards, but things can only get worse when Inuyasha is injected with venom from one of her snake demons. The venom paralyzes his demon blood, so he's stuck in human form!
1. Chapter 1

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter One

"Inuyasha! I sense shikon shards!" said Kagome, looking to the east. The sun was just beginning to set behind the treetops of the forest. The boy with white hair perked up his dog-like ears, sniffing the air.

"Hmmm, I smell a demon." said Inuyasha, narrowing his eyes. "Be on your guard everyone, it's coming closer." he added, referring to the others around the campfire. Miroku the monk picked up his staff and rose to his feet, his eyes scanning the horizon. Sango the demon slayer put one hand on her hirakostu and the other on Kirara, her demon cat, who had just changed into her more fearsome form in a burst of flame. A low growl issued from her throat.

"Easy, Kirara." said Sango, stroking her ear. "Just wait." The young fox demon Shippo ran to Kagome, jumping onto her lap.

"Shippo, it's alright." she said, grabbing her bow and arrows. "We'll get this demon's shikon shards, no problem. Maybe you'll help fight this one?"

Shippo looked up at Kagome. "You mean it? You'll let me fight?" Kagome smiled.

"Of course. I mean, if it's okay with Inuyasha." Shippo jumped off of Kagome's lap and went over to Inuyasha.

"Feh. I don't know if a little guy like you should be fighting yet." said Inuyasha, looking towards the forest where he could smell the demon drawing closer.

"Oh, come on Inuyasha! I won't run away this time, I swear! Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeeeee?" whined Shippo. Inuyasha looked toward the forest again, then back at Shippo's pleading face.

"Hmph. Fine. Just stay near Kagome." he said gruffly. Shippo smiled and clapped his hands.

"Thanks Inuyasha!" said Shippo. Suddenly, a tremor shook the earth were the group was camping. Inuyasha jumped up, a hand on Tetsusaiga.

"The demon's here!" he shouted as a large shape crashed through the trees, roaring. "Time to get some shikon shards! The demon was huge, almost 30 feet long. It took the shape of a giant black snake with red eyes and fangs as tall as Inuyasha himself. Behind it was another snake, a deep blue one with soulless, black eyes.

"Two demons?" said Miroku. "Both with shikon shards? This might be tricky." Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga.

"Not for me. I'll take the black one, you guys can have the blue one." The response was a smack in the head with Miroku's staff.

"Hey, what did you do that for, you lecherous monk!" shouted Inuyasha. Miroku hit him again.

"For being foolish, Inuyasha. You cannot possibly think to take on a snake demon by yourself at this time in the month."

"Miroku's right," said Sango, mounting Kirara. "You do know tonight's the night of the new moon?"

_That's right_, thought Kagome. _The night of the new moon is when Inuyasha takes on his human form and loses all his demonic powers. We'll have to defeat these demons before sunset if we even want to have a chance at beating them._

"Inuyasha, here they come!" said Kagome, putting an arrow to her bowstring. The snake's were traveling at an incredible speed. "Please hit!" She let the arrow fly, only to have it miss the blue snake by inches. It swung it's head towards Kagome, it's black eyes boring into her. Suddenly, it charged, opening it's mouth, exposing huge, white fangs.

"Kagome! Look out!" shouted Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga above his head. He swung, slicing it's back. The snake let out a shriek, circling back around.

"Ha! That wasn't so hard!" said Inuyasha, smiling, but his smile soon disappeared as he saw the cut on the snake's back heal in a matter of seconds. He snarled as the snake turned on Kagome again, who grabbed Shippo and tried to run.

"You stay away from her!" he roared, thrusting Tetsusaiga into it's tail. The snake flailed wildly, knocking Inuyasha backwards with it's head. Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku had the black snake cornered, far away from the camp.

"Hirakotsu!" shouted Sango, cutting off the snake's head. Miroku prepared to open his wind tunnel.

"Well done Sango!" he shouted as he slowly unwrapped the beads around his right hand, his back to the snake. Suddenly, the head fused back to the snake's body, lunging for Miroku.

"Miroku! The snake!" shouted Sango, but it was too late. The snake grabbed Miroku's arm in it's fangs, injecting him with it's venom. Kirara landed, Sango jumping off and running to Miroku, who had slumped to the ground, the snake poised for it's final blow.

"Sango! Get away! You'll be hurt as well as me!" shouted Miroku weakly. Sango kept running.

"No Miroku! I won't leave you!" she shouted back, stopping in front of him, raising her boomerang bone. She prepared herself for the blow, but it never came.

"WIND SCAR!" shouted Inuyasha, the snake, taken by surprise, was flung backwards.

"Thanks Inuyasha." said Sango, bending down to put Miroku's arm around her shoulders. "Miroku and I would've been in trouble if it weren't for—." The sound of a familiar slap echoed through the trees.

"You pervert! Keep your hands to yourself for once!" shouted Sango. "If you weren't as weak as you are now, you'd be in big trouble, monk!" Miroku smiled, his eyes closed.

"I was only...making sure...you were all right." he said, as Sango lifted him up onto Kirara, who had come running at the sound of her master's agitated voice.

"Yeah, right. You know that's not the reason." she grumbled as she got on Kirara behind him.

"Inuyasha! I'm going to take Miroku back to the camp and get him an antidote! Will you be all right without me for a few minutes?" shouted Sango as Kirara jumped into the air. It was only about 30 feet to the camp, but Sango didn't want to drag Miroku that far.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurry up!" he said, slashing at the black snake, who had recovered from Inuyasha's wind scar. Kagome fired another arrow at the blue snake, and missed again. Shippo jumped off her shoulder, his hands in front of him.

"Foxfire!" he shouted, blue flames engulfing the snake's head.

"Way to go Shippo!" said Kagome, getting another arrow from her quiver. Inuyasha used the wind scar on the black snake once more, just as the sun set behind the horizon. Inuyasha's claws shrank, his fangs disappeared, his hair turned black, and Tetsusaiga transformed back to it's original state.

"Damn, I'm human!" said Inuyasha, sheathing the now useless Tetsusaiga. "Kagome! You're our only chance to kill these snake demons until Sango gets back! Where's the shard in the black snake?"

Kagome looked at the black snake for a moment. "It's in it's head!" The serpent began to charge towards Inuyasha. Just before it reached him, he jumped out of the way, but not all the way, as the snake grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder, injecting him with venom.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome, shooting a purifying arrow at the black snake. It hit it in the back of the head, the shard popping out and landing at Inuyasha's feet. The snake itself roared, and disintegrated. Kagome ran to Inuyasha, Shippo at her heels, not watching or caring where the blue snake was. All she cared about was Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside him. He clutched at his bloody shoulder. Black spots swam before his eyes.

"I don't know..." he said, shaking his head. He picked up the shard that had come from the black serpent and gave it to Kagome. As soon as she put the shard with the others, the blue snake came from nowhere, grabbing Kagome with it's tail, her arms pinned to her sides.

"Kagome!"shouted Inuyasha, trying to get back up on his feet. He fell forward, everything spinning like mad. He could hear Sango yelling for Kagome as well.

"INUYASHA!" shouted Kagome. _Inuyasha's hurt, I can't leave him, _she thought, wriggling like mad. The snake sensed her struggle and squeezed her, making Kagome black out and faint. Sango came rushing at the snake, but it knocked Kirara aside with it's head. Inuyasha lifted up his head, just in time to see the snake jump into the air and fly away.

_Kagome_, he thought. _I must...save...Kagome. _He felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder, then let the oncoming blackness engulf him.

_Kagome, I will find you. I swear it. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the character in it (I wish I did though...rock on Rumiko Takahashi!)**

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter 2

Inuyasha awoke the next morning with a pounding headache right between his eyes. He tried to open his eyes, but that only made everything spin more than it already was, so he laid there in darkness for a while, the sunlight straining against his eyelids.

_Where am I? _He thought, putting his hand over his face. _What's come over me? I feel as weak as a newborn bird. Did the snake venom do something to me? My body should have expelled most of the poison already, why do I feel so strange?_ Inuyasha scratched his head, stopped, and scratched again, slower. Something wasn't right. Then he bolted upright, the action threatening to knock him out again.

"My claws are gone!" he said, his hands shaking as he inspected them. He ran his tongue over his teeth. "Not my fangs too! Gods, what's going on?" Finally, he ran a hand over his coal black hair. No dog ears. "What the hell is wrong with me! Why am I still human?" he shouted. "The night of the new moon is over dammit, I should be back to normal!"

After Inuyasha somewhat recovered his wits, he took a look around him. He was lying in a pile of blankets in Kaede's hut, by the looks of it, although he couldn't be sure. After losing his demonic powers, he wondered if he was losing his mind as well. He looked down at his throbbing shoulder. There was a blood-stained bandage wrapped around his shoulder and around his bare chest. Inuyasha growled, letting loose a very loud string of choice words, bringing Kaede, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo into the hut.

"Are ye all right, Inuyasha?" asked Kaede, going over to the boiling pot of water in the middle of the hut and stirring it. "Ye are causing quite a racket over just one little snake bite."

"What do ya mean 'one little snake bite', you decrepit witch? My demonic powers are gone! I'm a damn human, and I can't do anything about it! What's worse, Kagome's been carried off by some flying snake thing, and we're all just sitting here! If you haven't figured it out already, no, I am not all right! No way in hell!" yelled Inuyasha, crossing his arms.

Miroku, his arm in a sling, walked over to Inuyasha's side. "Inuyasha, you know you have to rest to regain your strength before going after Lady Kagome. What if we meet more of those snake demons along the way with you in this state? We'd all be dead then. I can't fight, and Sango can't take that powerful a demon on her own. The only way to defeat them is with Kagome's sacred arrow."

"And it's really not that bad being human." added Sango. "We're not as weak as you think, Inuyasha."

"Feh. I'd still prefer to be a half demon again." he snorted, laying back down on the blankets.

"You're such a dope, Inuyasha." said Shippo, sticking out his tongue.

"Puny runt, If I wasn't in this state you'd have hell coming your way!" shouted Inuyasha, sitting up again, only to be pushed back down by Kaede, a bowl of hot water, a cloth, and a fresh bandage in her hands.

"Ye are not going to heal if you keep yelling like this." she warned, unwrapping the bandage from his shoulder and chest. He sat quietly after that, a sullen look on his face as Kaede cleaned the noticeably smaller bite on his shoulder. After that was done, a new bandage in place, he perked up as he saw Sango pull some instant ramen from Kagome's backpack.

His eyes on the ramen at all times, he turned to Miroku. "So, how did we get here anyway? We don't all fit on Kirara." Kirara walked into the hut, meowed as if to agree, and jumped onto Sango's knee.

"I sent a message to Hachi and he came and brought us here." said Miroku, sitting next to the cooking pot of ramen. "Wow, that smells great." he added. "The food from Kagome's era is so strange, yet so delicious. My favorite are those potato chip things."

"I like chocolate covered strawberries." said Sango, scratching Kirara behind the ears, who purred contentedly.

"Oh! Candy is my favorite! All kinds of candy! The yellow ones in the colorful wrappers, the white and red minty ones, the green sugary ones..."

"Feh, you guys and food." said Inuyasha. _Although, I don't think I could live without instant ramen, _he thought to himself.

The ramen was finished cooking, and Inuyasha inhaled his share in a matter of seconds, not even bothering to pause between bites. He laid back down on his blankets, ready to rest for a while. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought of Kagome and how she fared. He was worried about her. He hoped she could take care of herself. He felt a pang of guilt at not being able to protect her and save her from that snake demon.

Inuyasha tossed and turned fitfully, murmuring Kagome's name over and over in increasing anxiety.

"Kagome!" he shouted, bolting upright, breathing heavily. The hut was empty, the sun much lower in the sky than it had been when he went to sleep. He rested his head in his hands, ready to scream with frustration. He had had a horrible nightmare, one where Kagome was being tortured by a giant snake demon at the command of a robed figure in black and green. He had been paralyzed and not able to help Kagome. It was Inuyasha's worst fear, not being able to help Kagome when she was in pain.

"Why am I so worried about her anyway?" he whispered. "She's fine." he told himself. "It was only a dream. She's fine, she's fine." Even though he kept telling himself that, he really didn't believe it. Kagome was in trouble, and it was all his fault.

_Kagome, I hope you're safe. I'm sorry I can't come and find you right away, I really wish I could, but I want to be strong enough to be able to save you. Please, be safe and take care of yourself until I can come and get you. If you died, I could never forgive myself. You're my truest friend, Kagome. Wait...a friend? Somehow, friend seems inadequate. Are you...something more to me Kagome? Do you think of me the same way? No...no. She could never love a half demon like me, I'm only a friend to her, her protector. Nothing more. Just a friend._

Those words stung Inuyasha more than any physical wound could.

_Just a friend._

**A/N: hey, what do you think of my first fanfic? Sorry it's so long in between updates. I'm currently working on another story (a full length one, not a short story) and two short stories for some english competitions I'm entering, so it's been busy. This chapter is kinda short too and I kind of wrote it in a hurry. Sorry! well, tell me what you think of this. Please R&R! I'm open to suggestions and constructive criticism!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, big gimungo thanks to all of you who reviewed! They make me feel very very warm and fuzzy and I love that! Love you guys. Also, sorry for not updating very quickly, I'm not the world's fastest updater, plus I can't go on the computer everyday. I'll try and get them up as soon as possible, so please bear with me! Ok, now enjoy...bum bum bum! Chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, I do not own Inuyasha, I do not own Inuyasha...I keep telling myself that, but I wish it weren't true! **

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter 3

Kagome woke with the sound of a soft and sinister hissing in her ear.

"Sssssssooooo. Now the little miko iiiiissssss awake. Now the fun can begin."

Kagome's eyes snapped open, trying to pinpoint the soft voice. She struggled against her bonds, tight chains wrapped around her ankles and wrists. There were few torches in the chamber where she was imprisoned, so the light was dim and everything cast in bleary, gray shadows. Everywhere in the shadows glowed blood red eyes, and everywhere could be heard the sounds of hissing and slithering, sending shivers of fear down Kagome's spine.

She could hear the hissing again near her ear and whipped her head around, but nothing was there–just an empty shadow. "W-who are you? S-show yourself!" said Kagome, trying desperately to hide the fear in her voice. She swallowed and took a deep breath, calming herself. "I mean it," she said, more confidently this time. "Show yourself now! Stop hiding like a coward!"

Something cool and smooth slid noiselessly across her shoulders and down her arm, making her stiffen in fear again. It was a red snake with jagged black stripes and a hood like a cobra, it's eyes black and lifeless like the blue snake's that had carried her to this place.

"Now now little miko. Iiiiiiitttttt'sssssssss alright. Don't be sssssssoooooo ssssssscared." the snake said in his soft, slippery voice, all the while twining around Kagome's leg.

"Get off me, you stupid little snake! I'm not afraid of you!" yelled Kagome, although she was shaking inside like a leaf in the wind. This one snake scared her more than all the other pairs of red eyes in the shadows combined. Something was different about this snake, and she didn't want to stay long enough to find out what it was. She tried to shake him off, but the chains on her leg wouldn't allow it, and it only made him laugh in a soft and whispery, but sinister way that made Kagome's breath catch in her throat.

"I said, get off me!" she yelled again, shaking the chains violently, making them rattle and clatter together, unaware of the figure moving toward her.

"Atsuku, you're making our guest nervous. Come here to me, now." said the figure in a slippery voice, just like a snake's.

Kagome jumped at the sound of another voice, staring at the person in front of her. It was a tall, thin woman dressed in a black robe with swirling green designs. Her long, straight black hair had no adornment except for a silver comb with a jeweled green snake on it. She wore silver earrings and a small, green glass bottle on a chain around her neck. The woman had an otherworldly, cold kind of beauty, like the frost on the trees in the winter, but the most frightening thing about her was her eyes, her soulless black eyes that seemed to bore into Kagome's very soul.

Atsuku the snake slid over to his master, sliding up onto her arm and then around her neck, his white fangs gleaming in the half light. Kagome instinctively drew back as the woman advanced toward her, gliding with silent footsteps, a menacing look in her eyes. When she smiled, Kagome could see that the woman had fangs as well, making her even more snakelike than she already was.

"W-who are you?" said Kagome in hushed tones, wishing with all her heart that Inuyasha would come bursting in at any moment.

The woman smiled again, making Kagome shiver. "I am Mikahebi, the serpent goddess, as you have probably noticed." she said, gesturing to Atsuku around her neck. "I can tell that you are afraid of me, Kagome. You're shaking, and not from cold either."

It was true that Kagome was shaking violently, trying desperately to put on a brave face, but when Mikahebi came even closer to her, Kagome lost it and closed her eyes, looking away.

Mikahebi put a long, black fingernail under Kagome's chin, forcing her to look at her. "Little miko, you needn't be so afraid. What I'm going to do to you will not hurt you at all. In fact, you won't even notice the difference, I'm sure. That is, if you survive." she laughed a soft, high pitched laugh, taking her hand from Kagome.

"What are you g-going to d-do to me you witch!" said Kagome, looking Mikahebi straight in the eye.

"That, my child, is for you to learn another day. For now, I'll leave you to try and figure it out for yourself. I'm tired from carrying you all this way and I want to rest." said the goddess, yawning.

"What? You carried me here? But...the blue snake..." before her eyes, Mikahebi began to change. She shimmered slightly, her limbs disappearing and her body lengthening and twisting, until the huge blue snake stood before once again.

Kagome's fear started to melt away, anger taking it's place. "You!" she shouted, twisting her wrists again against the chains. "You took me away from my friends, and you won't even tell me what for! Your snake hurt Inuyasha, then you took me away from him! Let me go, or you've got a world of hurt coming!" Tears began to well up in Kagome's eyes, making Mikahebi laugh again, only this time her laugh echoed around the dim chamber.

"You have a spark in you, little miko. I like that, but not enough to tell you my plan...yet. Oh, don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. Let me give you a hint–it involves the new moon and a rare talent of yours. Now, now, don't bare your teeth at me, not when I'm ten times your size." Mikahebi waved her giant head at Atsuku, who was curled around one of the torch brackets.

"Come now, my friend. We'll leave Kagome here to mull over what's she's learned." Both snakes slithered out of the chamber as well as all the pairs of red eyes, leaving Kagome alone. She slumped against the stone wall, blinking away the tears that clouded her eyes. She didn't even want to think about the things Mikahebi had told her. All she could think about were her companions, especially Inuyasha.

_Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Shippo, Kaede, Inuyasha, please be all right_, She prayed silently, a picture of Inuyasha, bloody and battered forming in her mind. _Inuyasha, are you even alive? No, you have to be alive. If you die because of me, I don't think I could ever forgive myself. Inuyasha, hold on, hold on for me." _

Kagome sobbed, realizing that with his wounds, Inuyasha would not be coming to save her. She didn't even know if he was alive or not. She would have to save herself, if only to find Inuyasha.

In the shadows, a pair of black eyes watched her, watched the miko slid down the wall and put her head on her knees, the image of a defeated figure.

"Oh, little miko, your hanyou is in an even worse situation that you can possibly imagine." Atsuku chuckled to himself and slid noiselessly from the chamber, leaving the girl to her sobbing.

**A/N: Sorry, kind of short, but really cool, I like it a lot. Mikahebi is so cool, I've always wanted to be one of those graceful, evil sorceresses.(smiles evilly) well, it could still happen. (laughs like Mikahebi) Ok, evil moment over. I promise, next update sooner. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, I do not own Inuyasha, I do not own Inuyasha– I keep telling myself that, but I wish it weren't true!**

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter 4

"Inuyasha, sit down! I mean it, sit! Do you want to make your injuries worse?" shouted a frustrated Sango, raising her hirakotsu threateningly above her head. She and Miroku had been trying make Inuyasha sit down for the past half hour, but he wouldn't have it. He kept walking around experimentally, convinced that his injuries had healed, but of course they hadn't.

It had been two days since Kagome had been carried off by the snake, and Inuyasha was determined to be up on his feet and ready to bring her back as soon as possible.

"Inuyasha, even if you were a half demon now, you should still be resting and recovering your strength." said Miroku, forcing Inuyasha back to the hut with his staff with no such luck. "But since you are stuck in your human form, you're in even worse condition and it will take longer for you to heal."

"Feh, you worry too much. I'm just fine! I could even go after Kagome right now!" grunted Inuyasha, pushing away Miroku's staff. Sango came up behind him and poked him lightly in the back, causing him to fall face first in the dirt with a loud thud.

"Whad'ya do that for, dammit!" shouted Inuyasha, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"If I can push you over that easily, you're not okay." said Sango, helping him up. "Just rest and you can get Kagome sooner."

"You did not push me over that easily!" muttered Inuyasha, crossing his arms over his bandaged chest.

"Inuyasha, could you just sit for a while?" said Miroku, the usually patient monk beginning to get frustrated.

"No, monk. I won't sit."

"Sit down."

"No."

"Inuyasha, I mean it, sit!"

"No!"

Miroku sighed, looking longingly off into the clouds. "Too bad Lady Kagome isn't here. She would be able to make you sit down."

Sango came up beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "If Kagome was here, we wouldn't be having this problem in the first place."

"Good point, my dear Sango." said Miroku, rubbing his injured arm, still in a sling from the snake bite. He was comforted by the hand Sango had placed on his good shoulder, reaching up to brush her fingers and glancing at her profile. He saw her blush a little, then smile, lifting her face up to the warm sun.

_My dearest Sango_, thought Miroku, taking her hand in his. He was surprised she didn't pull her hand away. She let Miroku take her hand, let him stroke her fingers with his thumb.

They both glanced at each other at the same time, Sango blushing but still holding his eyes.

_When did Miroku become so...sweet, so gentle,_ thought Sango, thoroughly aware of the butterflies in her stomach and the heat rising in her cheeks. Miroku took his hand from hers and slipped his good arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. She let out a little squeak, then relaxed, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled at her, putting his own head on hers.

Inuyasha saw the look pass between Miroku and Sango, and felt a pang of loneliness rip through his chest. He shook off the thoughts and continued to walk unsteadily around Kaede's hut, taking advantage of Miroku and Sango's distraction. Even though he could hold off the feeling of loneliness, jealousy at seeing Miroku and Sango together began to tighten his chest.

"Why the hell would I be jealous?" he muttered, stopping for a rest. "It's not like I love Kagome, or something. Wait, do I? What about Kikyo? I love Kikyo, I always have." Even though Inuyasha said he loved Kikyo, those words didn't have any meaning. They felt as hollow and empty as a dried up riverbed. Kikyo was no longer alive. She was merely a construct of mud, bones, and magic, while Kagome was living and breathing and right in front of him. She was able to melt his heart with her quirky ways, unlike Kikyo.

"Have my feelings for Kikyo been replaced by...Kagome?" he said, bracing himself against the wall of the hut. "I love..."

Suddenly, there was a stabbing pain in his shoulder where the snake had bitten him, most likely brought on from standing too long. Inuyasha clutched at his shoulder, making his way back to the door of Kaede's hut, his thoughts hurriedly thrown aside. As he limped through the door, he could still see Sango and Miroku standing together, both unaware of the world around them, only interested in each other.

"And it's about time." said Inuyasha. "Miroku's been looking like a lovesick buffoon for long enough."

Shippo came trotting up to Inuyasha, a piece of candy from Kagome's backpack in his mouth. He looked at Miroku and Sango, then back to Inuyasha, trying to read his feelings. Shippo thought Inuyasha looked a little lonely, depressed, even hopeless.

"Aw, Inuyasha, you don't have to be so sulky." said the little fox demon. "When you're all healed, we're gonna go save Kagome and you can tell her you love her."

Inuyasha snapped out of his daze, his face quickly regaining it's seemingly permanent scowl. "What was that, you little fungus? Who said I loved Kagome!" he proceeded to thump Shippo soundly on the head, causing the little fox to cry out with rage.

"You do to love Kagome, you just won't admit it you big idiot!" yelled Shippo, running into Kaede's hut. Inuyasha growled, mumbling to himself about how many ways he could strangle Shippo.

"Serves him right, the little worm." he muttered, walking slowly inside the hut and sitting on his pile of blankets and straw. "Doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."

Kaede sat by the fire pit, stirring something in the steaming pot. Shippo was across the room digging around in Kagome's backpack, undoubtedly looking for more candy.

"I heard what ye was saying outside with Shippo, Inuyasha. He is right. Ye should put aside your pride and just tell Kagome ye love her. Ye can't hide it any longer, no matter how hard ye try."

Inuyasha snorted and pretended to examine his fingernails. "So you think I love Kagome too, witch? You're blinder than I thought."

Kaede sighed. "If ye keep those feelings bottled up to long, boy, ye will explode like those demons ye are always slaughtering. I know ye are itching to go and save Kagome. Ye wouldn't do that for just anyone, Inuyasha."

"Feh." said Inuyasha, turning his head to the wall.

"Feh' is not the proper response to anything." said Kaede, adding the contents of a tiny green bottle to the pot.

"Feh." said Inuyasha again, just to spite the old woman. If she dared, she probably would've slapped him upside the head like a disobedient child.

They sat in silence, the only sound coming from the bubbling pot, crackling fire, and Shippo still rummaging in Kagome's backpack. Suddenly, there was a familiar slapping sound from outside and a shriek.

"Miroku, you pervert, you could try to keep your hands to safe areas for once!" yelled a red faced Sango as she walked into the hut, Miroku behind her, a hand shaped mark on his face.

"Ah, but my dear Sango, I was merely–"

"Don't you give me your excuses, monk, I know what you were doing."

They continued arguing, a smile creeping across Inuyasha's face. "He always has to ruin the moment, doesn't he." mumbled Inuyasha, getting up and sitting gingerly by the pot with the others so he could get his food.

"What a fool." he said quietly, readily accepting his bowl of stew. "Too bad Kagome's not here. It just doesn't seen right without her."

"Did you say something Inuyasha?" asked Shippo, his mouth full of stew.

Inuyasha looked longingly off into the distance. "No...nothing." As the others ate, he sat with his uneaten food in his hands, sighs filling the air.

_And he says he doesn't love her, _thought Shippo. _What an idiot._

**A/N: Awwww, how cute! Inu's got feelings for Kagome! And, of course, I had to put in some Sango and Miroku fluff, and have Miroku let his wandering hand get the best of him. Will he ever learn? Anyway, R&R, as usual. I luv your comments!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear I am up to no good. Oh, and I don't own anything from Inuyasha**.

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter 5

Kagome counted the tiles on the ceiling for what felt like the six hundredth time that day. She couldn't do anything with both her arms and legs chained to the wall hanging like a puppet, so she grew less and less afraid and more and more bored.

Mikahebi had left her hanging for a good three days, the chains on her wrists magically disappearing once a day so she could eat. Not that Kagome could eat anyway. She was too worried about her companions than herself.

She would have to be patient, since she didn't even know where she was being held prisoner, let alone Inuyasha. She would either have to wait for him, or try and figure out a way to escape herself, although it seemed rather impossible at the moment. Hundreds of red eyes watched her constantly, along with Mikahebi's right hand serpent, Atsuku. He especially enjoyed slithering around Kagome's neck, telling her that Inuyasha was dead and he would never come.

Kagome refused to believe that and had taken to shouting at the top of her lungs whenever she felt the snake on her neck. If Inuyasha had died, she would have felt it. They were connected in some way that Kagome couldn't describe, and she knew that he was alive, somewhere.

"Even if he is the world's biggest jerk sometimes, I still love him." she said to herself, closing her eyes and sighing.

"Oh, my. How sweet, you're in love with the half demon." said an overly sweet voice from the shadows. Kagome glowered at the voice, baring her teeth in a snarl not unlike Inuyasha's own. Mikahebi stepped forward from the shadows, chuckling to herself.

"Even if you are just a mortal, you have a growl just like a demon's. You've been spending too much time around Inuyasha, my little miko." said the serpent goddess, twirling a bit of her black hair in her fingers, her eyes narrowed. "Leave us." she snapped to the snakes, and they slithered away, hissing.

Kagome held Mikahebi's gaze as she walked slowly towards her, producing a round diamond shaped mirror from out of nowhere. "Do you know what this is? It is my looking glass that enables me to view any person or place I choose. Now, who do you think we should look at today? No answer? Well, we could always view your precious half demon." The mirror began to glow red, a picture forming in it's depths. "Or should I say, your precious man."

"What are you talking about?" said Kagome, looking into the mirror and gasping when the picture of Inuyasha was clear enough to see. He was sleeping, his bare chest wrapped in bloody bandages, but it wasn't the wounds that bothered her. Kagome knew Inuyasha would recover, he always did– it was his appearance that worried her. His hair was coal black, his dog ears gone. He had no claws, no fangs. He was...human.

"But, the new moon is past! Why is he still human? What did you do to him?" shouted Kagome, struggling against her chains.

Mikahebi lowered the mirror, the image still there. "I was the one that bit him, remember? Well, I just injected him with some of my...special venom. Inuyasha's demon blood has been paralyzed, and his human blood now runs stronger within him. He cannot hope to change back to his half demon self until he gets the antidote, which I have. When he comes here to rescue you, if he survives, he will have to choose, the antidote or you, and fight for it. Whichever one he doesn't choose, I'll destroy it before we fight, so he can't cheat and get both."

Kagome didn't say a word, her mind whirling. What would Inuyasha choose? He absolutely hated being human, but he would never let her die, right? She tried to convince herself that there was no choice, but doubt wormed it's way into her mind. _What if he does choose to become a half demon? Does he really love me enough to give up being a half demon?_

Mikahebi could see the worry in Kagome's eyes and was satisfied. "Don't worry, my dear." she said in a whispery voice, putting a pointed black fingernail underneath Kagome's chin. "Inuyasha could die at anytime. He might not even make it here, and therefore be spared the choice between his love and his demon blood."

"You're wrong!" shouted Kagome, flinching as the fingernail pressed harder into the underside of her chin, but still holding Mikahebi's gaze. "Inuyasha is strong, he will make it here alive, and he will choose me." she murmured, her eyes steely.

"Don't be so sure, Kagome. You might not know Inuyasha's heart as well as you think you do."

With that, Mikahebi gave her one last smile, showing off her pointed teeth, and removed her hand, taking the mirror with her. She disappeared back into the shadows, leaving Kagome all alone, the red eyes gone for the moment.

Kagome held her tears back, biting her lip until she tasted blood. Honestly, she wasn't one hundred percent sure that Inuyasha would choose her.

"Inuyasha, please. Choose what your heart tells you to choose, not what your head wants." she whispered, hanging her head, a whispery laugh echoing throughout the chamber.

**A/N: sorry this one is kinda short, at least I think it is. And sorry for not updating sooner, I'm the world's biggest procrastinator. There have also been some questions as to my writing skills, so here's my answer. Yes, this is my first fanfic, but I have been writing stories since I was in 3rd grade, at least. Not very good back then, but I worked to improve. I read a lot, so that's why my style is the way it is. This is the first story I've shared for anybody to look at. All my other stories were only shown to my best friend, and most were never finished. But I will finish this one, I swear on my life. Just for those who were curious.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear I am up to no good. Oh, and I don't own anything from Inuyasha.**

A/N: I'm so, so sorry for not updating sooner! Please do not beat me with sticks and rip me apart limb by limb! I am such a procrastinator and I really wish I wasn't. If you're done fuming and cursing me now, I'll tell you that this chapter has mucho fluffo. I am a big fan of the fluff and you should be too, if you already aren't. I promise, action is soon to come. Battles galore, for both Inuyasha and Kagome. Oh, did I reveal too much? raises eyebrows Hmm, well, on to the story!

P.S. Chapter 7 will come sooner than chapter 6, I swear!

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter 6

Dawn came swiftly, spreading her rays across the earth. There was a slight breeze cooling the air and birds began to sing their morning songs. Inuyasha stepped out of Kaede's hut, stretching his arms wide and yawning. Today was the day that Miroku had promised they could set out to find Kagome and crush the one who had ordered Kagome kidnaped. Well, the finding Kagome part was Miroku, the crushing the kidnapper part was all Inuyasha. Because of her venom he was human, because of her snake Kagome was gone, because of her intentions, she had upset the delicate balance on which the group depended, and that angered Inuyasha beyond reason.

It had taken both Inuyasha and Miroku a week and a half to heal from the snake's venom–to long to go without Kagome. They didn't even know if she was alive or not, but still they had to find her, if only to bring back a body.

"Just you wait, witch. I'll come and rip you apart with my cla–." Inuyasha stopped himself, looking down at his hands. His clawless hands. His human hands, with human fingernails.

"Dammit! If Tetsusaiga won't transform, and I don't have claws or demon strength...how am I gonna beat this snake person anyway? In my human form I'm, I'm...I'm useless." he slid down to the ground, gloom written across his face.

"Who the hell are you and why did you do this to me?" Inuyasha shouted to the air, pulling at his raven hair. "It feels like it's an eternal new moon, but it isn't! The damn moon still changes it's phases, but I'm still the same! How could this happen?" He pounded his fist into the ground as hard as he could, his face contorted into a menacing snarl.

"Oh, Inuyasha, you will find out my intentions soon enough." said a smooth, female voice in Inuyasha's ear. He jumped up, spinning around to pinpoint the voice, but there was no one there.

"Who are you!" he shouted, crouching down into an attack position. "Come and fight me instead of hiding like a coward!"

The voice laughed, sending chills up Inuyasha's spine. "That would be quite impossible at the moment. You see, I'm not really here."

Inuyasha growled. "Then whadya want? Tell me where you are so I can kill you! I swear, if you've hurt Kagome in any way..."

"You'll rip me apart, yes, I know." Said the voice with amusement. "I won't tell you where I am, except you'll only find it when the moon hides her face, in the direction where the sun awakens. What I will tell you, show you actually, is how your Kagome is feeling at the moment."

Inuyasha jumped up, his fists clenched in both anticipation and dread. He could see Kagome, but in what condition would she be?

Suddenly, it felt as if his mind was being ripped in two with poisoned claws. He fell to the ground, screaming at the pressure in his head and wishing it would be over soon. Putting his hands to his face, he could see distorted images of Kagome swimming in front of his eyes. Inuyasha reached out his hand to her, the pain making his eyes water. Then, as fast as it had started, it stopped.

Inuayasha could see Kagome as if he were standing in the room with her. She was chained to the wall by both her hands and feet, and he could see the hungry pairs of red eyes watching her.

"Kagome..." He said quietly, desperately hoping that she could hear him. Kagome stirred a little bit like she had heard something, but she shook her head and continued to stare at the wall blankly.

Inuyasha took a step closer to her, and another, and another, until he was standing in front of her. Crouching down, he saw that she had been crying. Her face looked utterly broken and hopeless, and it killed Inuyasha knowing that he could have prevented it if only he had tried harder. He lifted his hand up and reached out towards her face, hesitating for a moment. What if he tried to touch her and his hand went right through her?

Inuyasha steeled himself and touched her tearstained cheek, smiling when he could feel her. Her head snapped towards his and their eyes met.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered timidly, touching his hand on her cheek and smiling when she could feel him. He was right here in front of her, still in his human form. "How?"

He shrugged. "Whoever your kidnapper is, she's doing this, but I don't care. All I care about is being able to see you, Kagome. By whatever means necessary." Inuyasha put his other hand on Kagome's cheek so he was holding her head. "I will find you, Kagome. I promise."

Kagome smiled at him and nodded, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her face. Where was the angry, elusive Inuyasha she once knew? This Inuyasha was sweet and caring and wanted to save her. She didn't care if he snapped at her or went out to seek Kikyo. She loved him. Every single little personality quirk, every inch of him. Kagome loved him.

Inuyasha wiped away a tear that had escaped the corner of her eye with his thumb. He put on his usual cocky smile. "Hey, don't worry. Even if I'm human, I'll tear whoever hurt you to shreds. Claws or no claws."

Kagome smiled. "Mikahebi. Her name is Mikahebi. Get me out of here, Inuyasha. All these snakes are creeping me out."

Inuyasha nodded, suddenly feeling strange, like he wasn't there anymore. Mikahebi's voice rang through the chamber.

"Alright, that's enough for now." She said. "Inuyasha, time to leave."

Inuyasha's eyes darted around the chamber, then back to Kagome. Her image was fading fast, and he could no longer touch her. The pressure in his head was back again, ripping apart his mind. Kagome reached out to him, fear written all over her face.

"Kagome!" He shouted, putting his hand out to touch her's, but he was too far away. Inuyasha couldn't reach her anymore. She was fading, fading, until she was gone and Inuyasha found himself on the ground back in Kaede's village in a daze.

He picked himself off the ground, his mind reeling. Did he really just talk with Kagome? The real Kagome? She seemed real to him and that was enough. Inuyasha would find this Mikahebi person and get Kagome back where she belonged. With him.

Inuyasha stalked back to Kaede's hut, determination written all over his face. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo turned to face him, quite disturbed by the intense look he gave them.

"We're leaving." He said in a low voice. Sango, wearing her demon slayer outfit and carrying Hirakotsu on her back, stood up and walked over to Inuyasha.

"I'm ready to save Kagome." She said, nodding at him. Kirara transformed into her larger version and meowed, rubbing up against her master. Shippo jumped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder and tugged at his hair.

"Don't forget me, Inuyasha." He said.

Miroku picked himself up and grabbed his staff and Kagome's bulging backpack, momentarily stumbling from the weight.

"Ready when you are, Inuyasha. We're here for you."

Inuyasha nodded and led the way out the door, patiently waiting for the others as they said good bye to Kaede.

They set off, Inuyasha leading the way.

"How do you know where to go, Inuyasha?" Asked Sango.

"Mikahebi...approached me." He said with a growl.

"Who is Mikahebi? Is that the one who kidnaped Kagome?" Asked Miroku. "She's from the mainland. What is she doing here?"

Inuyasha stopped and turned towards the monk, nearly throwing Shippo off his shoulder. "You know the witch?" He exclaimed.

"Not personally. She's the goddess of the new moon, and her symbol is the snake. She can transform into a snake herself and she had the ability to talk to them. The venom of her special snakes is very poisonous and causes the victim extreme pain and weakness, unless properly treated. Mikahebi was sealed up years ago, but I guess her seal has been removed by someone who didn't know her power. Before she was sealed up, she agreed to house a snake demon in her body and became a demon herself. She is one dangerous demon, but what does she want with Kagome?" Explained Miroku as the group resumed walking eastward.

"So, a snake demon, huh?" Said Inuyasha, the cocky attitude creeping back into his voice.

"I can take her!" yelled Shippo, brining his fist down onto Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha growled and picked him up by his foot.

"No you can't, pipsqueak! I'll be the one to defeat her!" To emphasize his point, he bashed Shippo on the head a few times and dropped him on the ground.

Inuyasha gloated for a few seconds until Miroku's staff came down on his head. Shippo jumped up onto Kirara, pouting as Inuyasha let out a string of obscene curses.

"Inuyasha, you can't put Shippo down like that." Said Sango as Miroku removed his staff from Inuyasha's head.

"Indeed." Agreed Miroku. "Shippo is just a kid and needs to be treated as such."

"Hey!" exclaimed Shippo. "I don't need to be treated like a kid!"

Inuyasha smirked. "Good!" He brought his fist down on Shippo's skull for the second time.

"Inuyasha, you idiot!" Yelled Shippo, latching onto Inuyasha's arm with his teeth.

Inuyasha ran around screaming. "Hey, Shippo! Ow! Get off me! Get off before I really can't control myself and hurt you! Ow! Ow!"

"Boys." muttered Sango. "Idiots, every single one of them"

"What about me?" Asked Miroku.

"Don't push your luck, monk."

Miroku sighed and turned towards the east, to the ravings of Inuyasha and Shippo in the background. "Well, this journey is getting off to a great start."

A/N: Hey, chapter 6 up! Yay! Anyway, hoped you liked it. I'm so sorry I couldn't get this up sooner! I just can't apologize enough for this, can I? Well, chapter 7 will come sooner, I promise. If it doesn't, you have permission to gouge my eyes out with razor blades and drink the blood from the sockets. Sorry, that's my friend's favorite threat. Okay, well, if you want chapter 7 up really really soon, REVIEW! I love reviews, and you should leave me one, even if it's two words. Review, or I will hunt you down! Kidding.

In the next chapter, there will be action, I promise! Until next time, luvs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I blah blah not own blah blah blah anything from blah blah Inuyasha. You get the point.**

A/N: Hey, chapter 7 up. I can get chapters up way faster now since it's summer vacation. I'm gonna be a sophomore in high school next year, so we'll see how much time I have for writing. If there's not a lot, I'll make time. I promise. In this chapter, Inuyasha and the gang will have to face their first obstacle. Want to know what it is? Read on!

An Eternal New Moon

Chapter 7

Inuyasha went down on his hands and knees, trying to sniff out a scent that was out of the ordinary on the forest path. Any scent would do. However, without his demon powers, he just wasn't having any luck.

"Inuyasha, could you get off the ground, please?" Asked Miroku irritably. "Without your powers, we can smell anything as well as you. You don't have to keep doing that."

Sango came up behind him and tried to pull him up by his robe. "Yeah, you've been trying to sniff out weird scents at least seven times by now. Give it up."

"Not to mention you look like an idiot crawling on the ground like that." Added Shippo, making sure he was far enough away from Inuyasha so he wouldn't get his head mashed into the ground. Sure enough, Inuyasha sprang to his feet and tried to growl.

"Who are you calling an idiot, you little–." Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks as both Miroku's staff and Sango's boomerang bone came crashing down on his head.

"Inuyasha, control yourself!" Said Miroku and Sango simultaneously. Inuyasha rubbed his head, muttering something like, 'If I had my claws, you'd both be on the ground by now. Now that's what I call control.'

Kirara mewed and suddenly changed into her demon form, snarling at something in the treetops.

"Kirara, what is it?" Said Sango, laying a hand on her companion. As an answer, Kirara, leapt into the trees, chasing after a very frightened squirrel.

"Kirara, not again!" Yelled Sango. "Last time you saw a squirrel, you were gone for two days!"

"Should we go after her?" Asked Miroku. Inuyasha desperately hoped that they wouldn't have to look.

Sango shook her head, smiling. "No, it's alright. She'll find me. She always does. Let's keep going."

The four companions resumed their journey, Inuyasha leading the way. Seeing something in the distance, his eyes lit up and he ran ahead, finally believing that they were on to something. When he broke through the underbrush, he saw a very wide, very long river with only one bridge. On that bridge was a solider, dressed in light armor and looking extremely bored out of his mind.

Inuyasha's face lit up in a smile. "Ha! The big river! We're getting closer, I know it! Even though I've never seen a guard here before, he'll be no problem." Sango, Miroku, and Shippo came to stand beside him.

"When did they post a guard at the bridge?" Said Sango, gripping her boomerang a little tighter. Unlike Inuyasha, a deep frown etched her features. Miroku's look matched hers perfectly.

"I don't know. I guess one of the lords around here wants extra protection." Said Miroku thoughtfully. "Come one, let's go cross the bridge and be done with it."

Inuyasha leapt down the hill first and reached the guard, attempting to pass him. He was met by a wicked looking sword at his throat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Snarled Inuyasha, trying to look as fearsome as he could in his human form.

The guard didn't even flinch. "Under the orders of Lord Chihaya, to pass over this bridge, a toll of three silver coins must be payed."

Inuyasha bristled as Miroku, Sango, and Shippo reached him. "A toll? You want us to pay a toll?" Growled Inuyasha, his eyes fiery with anger. He put his face close to the guard's. "You are standing between me and my destination. One of my friends is in danger and you're not going to stop me." He said in a low voice, putting a hand on his tetsusaiga.

The guard still looked bored. "Three silver coins, please."

Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. He lunged at the guard, only to be stopped by Miroku and Sango.

"Calm yourself, Inuyasha. We'll get by this bridge peacefully." Said Miroku, holding the back of Inuyasha's robe as Inuyasha desperately tried to claw at the guard.

"Yeah, well did you bring any money, monk?" Snarled Inuyasha. Miroku's calm look evaporated and was replaced with a look of sheepish apology.

"Um, well...you see..." He trailed off and looked at the ground.

Sango resumed the task of restraining Inuyasha. Finally, she smashed her boomerang into his thick skull, knocking Inuyasha to the ground. He would be a little dizzy for at least a couple of minutes, leaving Sango free to converse with Miroku.

"You didn't bring any money. How are we going to get past him? Swim?" She said, looking across the very wide river. "I don't think so. I know for a fact that swimming isn't your strong point, Miroku."

"Shippo," Began Miroku. "Couldn't you fly us across after you transform?"

The fox demon shook his head. "Do you really think a little guy like me can hold three people and make it across a huge river?"

"Make three trips then."

"I can't! My energy will be all used up after one or two! If the river were smaller, maybe. Definitely not this size."

"Well, what are we going to do, then? We can't kill the guard! I don't think we can knock him out, he's trained to watch for things like that. If we distract him and run across the bridge, he'll call for help and we'll be arrested." Miroku looked deep in thought. "We could make a raft out of fallen branches in the woods and go across the river that way. We'd just have to do it without the guard seeing us. Down the river more."

"There's no other way, is there." Replied Sango. "Okay, let's try it. What could happen?"

About an hour later, the group emerged with a makeshift raft in tow. Inuyasha had been persuaded not to kill the guard by Sango and her boomerang. Shippo sat on the raft, proud that he had helped to assemble at least a little bit of it and glad that he was too short to help carry it.

Scrambling down the river bank, out of sight of the guard, they lowered the raft into the water. Inuyasha climbed on first, then Sango, with Miroku holding it close to the bank. A long vine had been coiled up and was wrapped around his shoulder to use for rope should the need arise.

"Ready everyone?" Asked Miroku. The rest of the group nodded. He pushed off the bank and leapt onto the raft, smiling as it drifted slowly towards the other bank. Shippo, Inuyasha, and Miroku used pieces of wood for paddles; Sango used her boomerang. Slowly, they drifted farther and farther away from the bank.

"It's really working!" Exclaimed Shippo, paddling as fast as his little arms would allow. No sooner than he had said that, the raft hit a current and flipped over, the slats of wood drifting down the river as the raft broke apart.

The group surfaced and swam to the bank, everyone disappointed and very wet. Inuyasha shook himself off like a dog, spraying everyone else.

"Dammit, Miroku! A raft isn't going to work!" He said, wringing out his robe. "We have to get the guard!"

Sango squeezed the water out of her hair. "No, we don't. Let's just think for a minute."

"Maybe we should try to swim across?" Said Shippo. "We're already wet."

A few minutes later, Sango dragged a waterlogged Miroku out of the river. Inuyasha was still in the water, trying to get back to the bank with Shippo in tow. Miroku had gone under when a current had gotten a hold of him, but Sango had been fast enough and got him out.

"Miroku? Can you hear me?" She said. Miroku, eyes closed, lay still on the bank. Sango leaned over him, trying to get a closer look at his face. However, her look of concern was quickly replaced by one of anger as she felt a familiar hand on her backside.

Inuyasha turned towards the bank when he heard the slap and the stream of profanity coming from Sango. Mouth dropping open, he covered Shippo's ears until she was finished.

"Miroku, you pervert! Why do you always do that?" She yelled, sitting back down on the bank, her face a lovely shade of beet red.

"Well, my dear Sango," began Miroku, sitting cross-legged on the bank, the familiar red hand print on his cheek. "You always seem to lean over my like that when it looks like I need medical attention. Shouldn't you know by now that will happen?"

If it was possible, Sango blushed an even deeper shade of crimson. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay! One of these days, I won't do that and you'll die on me." _Monk, _she thought. _You know me too well._

"Well, I'm not dead now. That aside, we still have the problem of getting across this river."

Inuyasha crawled up on the bank, Shippo slung across his shoulders. "Well, that was a really good idea, Shippo." Said Inuyasha sarcastically. "Got any more?"

Shippo spat out a stream of water. "Nope. I'm out for now."

"Does this mean we can get the guard now?" Asked Inuyasha, looking eagerly up at the bridge.

"NO!" Replied Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. Inuyasha pouted. If he would've still had his ears, they would've been drooping by now.

Still on the riverbank, the group made their way back to the bridge until they were standing underneath it. Studying the rafters that crisscrossed the underside of the bridge, Miroku suddenly had an idea.

"I know!" He exclaimed. "We can climb underneath the bridge! We'll use the rafters as our own bridge!"

"You mean those extremely thin, rickety looking ones?" Said Sango apprehensively. "If we fall, that's a long way to go, and falling looks pretty plausible at the moment. Those rafters don't look strong at all."

"Do you have a better idea?" Said Miroku, crossing his arms. Sango shook her head. "Good. Let's try it."

Using the rocks that made up the base of the ends of the bridge, the group crawled up the bridge until they were all positioned underneath on the rafters. Miroku led the way with Sango, Shippo, and Inuyasha behind him. Slowly, ever so slowly, they inched across. Even with the threat of falling hanging in the air, nobody panicked. After all, they had all faced worse things than crossing an old bridge over a really big river.

Only Shippo seemed a little nervous. "I'm still just a kid, you know!" He muttered, praying desperately that he wouldn't slip and fall.

Finally, after a few close calls, Miroku and Sango climbed safely down the rock base on the other side. Shippo jumped into Sango's arms, letting out the breath he had been holding. Only Inuyasha was left.

"See, Inyasha?" Said Miroku. "We didn't have to get the guard after all."

Inuyasha's response: "Feh."

Inuyasha remained on the rafters, staring at the sunset. Sunset already? They had spent the whole day trying to get across the damn bridge? On an impulse, he stamped his foot and crossed his arms, sulking. What a complete waste of time.

A loud crack rang out. "Uh-oh." Muttered Shippo.

"Inuyasha, I think you should get down now." Said Sango. Inuyasha ignored her.

"Inuyasha..." Started Miroku.

"WHAT?" Roared Inuyasha, baring his teeth. Suddenly, the rafter cracked and he plunged into the river, splashing everyone on impact.

Miroku and Sango looked around wildly. Where was Inuyasha? He hadn't come up after the fall. A little farther down stream, they finally saw Inuyasha crawl up onto the bank and fall face down into the sand.

"Inuyasha!" Said Miroku as he reached his companion. "Are you alright?"

Inuyasha lifted his head and spat out a number of small fish. "Fine."

Miroku laughed, Sango and Shippo joining in while Inuyasha let his face fall back into the sand. Well, it certainly was an interesting day.

**A/N: Hey, how'd you like it? Were you expecting a big demon as their first obstacle? Well, me too at first. I thought this would be funnier, though. Yeah, near drowning experiences are always great. As for getting this chapter up faster than the others, I would've gotten it up sooner, but I was struck down with an extremely bad case of the flu. One of the worst nights of my life. Anyway, I'm going on vacation for two weeks, so chapter 8 will not be up as soon as I wanted it to. Nothing's happening for me in August, though, so maybe I'll get chapter 8 and 9 up before school. We'll see. Only if you're good and REVIEW! ok, well, next time in chapter 8...actually, I have no idea what's happening in chapter 8. I'm making this up as I go, really. All my good stories start on a whim, like this. Hope that's okay with you! Carpe Noctem! (Seize the night) What? It's Latin...**

**A _BIG GINORMOUS _thank you to lythe224 for pointing out my mistakes in the first version. I'm sorry to say I forgot about kirara (gasp!) And Shippo's floating transformation. Oops. Let's just say I was heavily medicated and a little delirious when I wrote this chapter. Stupid flu! Well, if you didn't like this chapter as much, so sorry. I needed a break from all the serious stuff, and you probably did too. There will be more action in the future though. And...more fluff! Yay fluff! Also, another _BIG GINORMOUS _thank you to Ms. Uchiha for correcting my spelling error. Hiraikotsu, see? Now I can spell it! I'm horrible at spelling and way to lazy to look things up. Damn you spell checker for not having Inuyasha vocab!**


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